


The Salt of Sunflower Seeds

by Chionee



Category: One Piece
Genre: Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Naughty innuendo, the fluff as taken over, this is mostly self-indulgent, tiny spoilers for WCI arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 11:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20209162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chionee/pseuds/Chionee
Summary: Lately, it was more common for Zoro to find Sanji than the other way around. So when he spotted the blond in the middle of a sunflower field, he was only a bit surprised.





	The Salt of Sunflower Seeds

**Author's Note:**

> Please accept the fluff, I'm a soft writer.

Out of them all, Zoro was the one who had the habit of wandering around aimlessly. The crew often mocked him for getting lost, but there also were times when he liked to let himself be guided by the flow of people walking around him, or by a peculiar sound or smell that got his attention, without any will to go anywhere in particular. He didn’t call that getting lost in any way, even though he did struggle to get back to the ship. Sometimes.

That was why he found himself in strange locations most of the time. And if he was too lazy to retrace his path and liked the place where he had been led to, he would find a comfortable tree or some expanse of grass to rest until someone woke him up. Usually, for a reason he didn’t know, Sanji was the one who found him first. He would make sure to kick him awake where it hurt a bit -a petty move- and would pretend to get all annoyed about this. Zoro suspected he also liked to explore their surroundings and just happened to come across him.

Lately, though, it was more common for Zoro to find Sanji than the other way around. Since they got together, Zoro spotted him in random places doing what the cook enjoyed. The swordsman wondered if he was paying more attention to him or if Sanji happened to be around more, but found this discovery to be kind of welcomed. So when he spotted the blond in the middle of a sunflower field, he was only a bit surprised.

The cook was surrounded by the flowers. They reached his shoulders, giving the impression his head was floating on a golden pool. In the distance, his hair was blending with the petals and if Zoro didn’t know better, he would have thought it was another sunflower that had grown taller than the others.

Stopping in his track for a moment, he watched the unmoving head whose hair strands were undulating with the gentle breeze, reflecting the sun in fits and starts. With closer inspection, Zoro noticed Sanji’s hair was lighter than the sunflowers. Maybe a shade or two lighter.

He wondered what was the cook doing here. It wasn’t uncommon to find him in more crowded places, like markets or grocery stores, where he seemed perfectly at ease. Zoro knew he would hang out at the docks when he had nothing better to do, and would chat with the shipwrights and the carpenters. He also would flirt with ladies before… them. Not so much now, and knowing this was still giving him a multitude of tiny butterflies in his stomach.

Seeing Sanji in an isolated place, all by himself, was unusual. Apart from the galley, his very dedicated room where he spent most of his time, the cook seemed to get naturally pulled towards more lively places, towards people. Zoro had known that for a long time, being observant enough to notice that sort of behavior. After the Whole Cake Island disaster, when he had learned the full story on Wano, it had become clear why Sanji would rather not get isolated in some place he didn’t know.

Although this sunflower field didn’t look anything like a cage, the sight was still giving Zoro uneasy feelings. Deciding to join him, he started marching through the field. The flowers were tickling his bare arms on his path, but he couldn’t look away from the blond until the sound of rustling leaves drew Sanji’s attention to him. They were still a few meters apart.

“Hey,” he said in a soft, distant voice.

“Hey,” Zoro answered.

Sanji seemed pensive, like his mind wasn’t entirely here. He was holding one of the sunflowers between his fingers. Stepping across the last meters that were keeping them apart, Zoro stopped right before the cook. He noticed, behind the last green stems, that Sanji was wearing his sherpa trucker jacket. Being bulkier than the blond, it fitted a bit loosely on his shoulders but somehow suited him well.

“You’re alright?” The swordsman asked.

A brief flash crossed Sanji’s eyes, and he was suddenly there, fully present.

“Oh, yeah- sorry I had something on my mind,” he replied, a trademark smile on his lips.

His worry appeared to be forgotten for the time being, but Zoro wanted to make sure he wasn’t missing something. Reaching to take the blond’s hands in his, he waited for him to look straight in his eyes.

“You want to talk about it? You know you don’t have to bear whatever is on your mind alone.”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Sanji brushed off with a light shake of the head. “It’s nothing. I was just reflecting on how I missed stuff at the beginning of my life. Can you believe I never tasted roasted sunflower seeds?”

“That stuff’s salty as hell,” Zoro declared in a heartbeat. “You aren’t missing anything there.”

Sanji laughed at that, and the tension that had invaded Zoro’s shoulders disappeared in an instant.

“But, like, you’ve _really_ never tasted that?” He wondered, surprised by such a discovery.

“No!” Sanji assured. “They were not part of the ingredients of any dishes we cooked back at the Baratie, so we never bought some. And before that… you know.” Zoro nodded. “And up until now, we never came across a sunflower field. There was no island with the proper climate, I guess.”

Sanji raised the flower he was holding, examining the indescribable pattern the florets formed at the center. He looked cute like this, in his oversized jacket, discovering a sort of flower he had never seen before. The urge to pull him into a bone-crushing hug was testing Zoro’s self-control, but ultimately he refrained from doing so straightaway.

“There was a bunch of them at my home village,” the swordsman said. “The kids used to play hide and seek in the fields when they were tall enough to hide them even when they were standing. It wasn’t uncommon to lose some of them inside.”

“Sounds fun,” Sanji commented.

“Probably,” Zoro shrugged. “It wasn’t my kind of thing. I was training at the dojo a lot at the time. But I knew what was going on thanks to the other trainees. I ate roasted sunflower seeds quite a few times when they brought some.”

“I’d like to try some,” the cook announced. “I want to make my own opinion.”

“It’d be more surprising that you wouldn’t,” Zoro chuckled. “Then shall we look for some salty seeds?”

“I’d gladly ask you to lead the way but that wouldn’t be a wise choice,” Sanji mocked, the fond malice in his tone making Zoro roll his eyes. “But sure, let’s go back to town.”

They made their way out of the field, getting back on the paved road. The blond laced his fingers to Zoro’s and pulled him in the right direction before the swordsman could wander off and they started walking side by side.

“You’re pretty dysfunctional for moss, you know?” Sanji claimed. “I mean, shouldn’t you be able to find the north or something?”

“Shut up,” Zoro grumbled, giving Sanji’s shin a light kick that made him giggle.

It always managed to catch Zoro off guard when the cook displayed sheer contentment thanks to him. They had been invested in their rivalry for so long the swordsman had thought for a long time they couldn’t generate anything more positive than brief moments of camaraderie when they had to face an enemy.

Deep down, the swordsman knew they always had gotten along well on a certain level that most people wouldn’t understand. And as the swordsman’s eyes landed on Sanji’s form, he knew they could have remained a very electric couple if the cook wasn’t such a lovestruck fool, and if he himself didn’t like that trait about him.

“What’s so interesting about my shoulders?” The cook wondered aloud, casting a glance to his lover, a smirk on his lips.

“My vest, actually.”

“Well,” the blond looked down at his outfit, “most of your clothes are dirty or stinky, or both at the same time-”

“I don’t want to hear that from the guy who’s wearing my dirty smelly clothes,” Zoro cut in.

“That’s why I wear what’s _clean_,” Sanji pointed out, an eyebrow raised. “And I like that vest.”

For a moment, Zoro was lost the blue eyes of his lover’s gaze. They had that little sparkle that made them seem lighter whenever he was in a good mood. For personal reasons, the swordsman liked losing himself in these irises, and wouldn’t be ashamed of admitting it.

“I like it too,” Zoro hummed, relocating his sight lower to observe the way the jacket was hanging loose around narrow shoulders, the collar made of soft sherpa fabric caressing the base of his nape. The sleeves that were a bit too long and hiding the heel of his palms. “On you, I mean.”

A small laugh shook Sanji’s shoulders, making the swordsman look up. “Then how about I borrow more of your clean clothes in the near future?”

“As much as the thought is tempting, these are _my _clothes. You own enough stuff to wear a different outfit every day for a month.”

“You love it when I wear your clothes,” Sanji taunted.

“I love it so much I should take that jacket off your shoulders myself right now.”

The cook burst out laughing, elbowing Zoro in the ribs for his suggestive remark. The swordsman couldn’t hide the smile that was forcing its way on his lips and he let a small laugh out as well.

“Maybe later,” Sanji promised with a wink, then nodded towards the appearing town they were getting close to. “For now, we have a snack to get our hands on.”

They could hear the cacophony of the crowd living in the streets already, the buzz of a lively, peaceful island. It was refreshing and welcomed after all they went through on Wano, where they had experienced the most nerve-wracking weeks they had ever lived on their adventure. On this isolated piece of land, no one knew exactly who they were, or at least pretended not to know. The inhabitants were friendly and not intrusive, leaving them to their business. It was a nice place for the crew to reinvigorate itself.

“It’s a wonder you didn’t find some on our first day when you ran errands. I’m sure there are plenty in every grocery stores,” Zoro asserted, scanning the stalls for the roasted seeds.

“I was a little out of it,” Sanji revealed as they turned at a corner. “I was more concerned with the habitual stuff. Basic fruits, vegetables, meat and spices. The climate here provides common edibles so I didn’t look for anything new, figuring I could search for unusual stuff another day. Must have missed the sunflower seeds that way.”

The swordsman hummed and gave his lover’s hand a fleeting squeeze. Soon enough, they came across a small stall owned by a petite old lady that was selling the desired roasted seeds. Buying a little pouch of them was quick and they took the time to find a quieter alley before taking the seeds out.

“I don’t even know how to start,” Sanji confessed, examining the small black shells.

“I can’t believe _I_ am going to teach _you_ something about food,” Zoro chuckled, taking the pouch to put a decent amount of seeds in his hand.

“I don’t pretend to know everything,” Sanji bit back with a roll of eyes that Zoro ignored.

“The most common way to eat them is to put a handful in your mouth. You store them in one cheek-”

“like a squirrel?” the blond cut off in wonder, confusion clear on his face.

“-and you move them one by one on the side of your jaw to crack the hull open, spite it and swallow the seed. And you repeat.”

At the mention of the spitting step, Sanji’s face morphed into disgust and he suddenly seemed less keen on trying the sunflower seeds. His expression made Zoro snort.

“Some people eat them one by one. Some don’t bother to crack the shell open, but I don’t recommend it, you’d just have the impression of eating salty pebbles.”

Zoro proceeded to put into practice the method he had just described under the mixed look of his lover. His grimace grew uglier as he spat the first seeds on the ground, and Zoro was nearly convinced he wouldn’t try it, to his amusement.

However, Sanji eventually decided to give it a try and put one of the seeds into his mouth. He didn’t show anything for a while, focused on the tastes of this new snack. He then pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to spit the hull into and swallowed the seed before repeating the operation.

“So?” Zoro inquired after some time.

“It’s indeed very salty. The hull is tricky. Some are easy to crack open, others shatter under the pressure. I understand why some people wouldn’t bother to break the shells and eat the seeds whole. As for the taste of the seeds in itself, it’s bland. Nothing really interesting taste-wise.”

“Disappointed?”

“Never,” Sanji assured. “I didn’t expect anything from it because I had no idea what to expect.” He shrugged with a smile and put aside the handkerchief with the pouch of seeds. “I’m glad I could discover it, though. It was a small fantasy of mine.”

“Being a cook and all?”

“That, and being able to cross out the small objectives the child version of me had fixed in the past.”

Sanji shrugged a little, a sheepish smile at the corner of his lips that Zoro couldn’t resist kissing. The cook chuckled against his mouth, letting himself be led into the kiss.

“Anyways,” he interjected, his lips brushing Zoro’s as he spoke, “they may not be that great of a snack by themselves, but I’ll figure a recipe or two that will embellish their flavor. I read somewhere they are nutritious.”

Zoro hummed in acquiescence, more focused on the feeling of his lips against his lover’s. They were a bit chapped from the constant worrying that replaced the presence of cigarettes. The trimmed facial hair was tickling his chin as Sanji talked.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Zoro hummed again and leaned forward to steal another kiss, against which Sanji cursed at him halfheartedly before giving in. The cook slid his arms around Zoro’s waist while the latter cupped his face in his hands, angling it the way he wanted before deepening the kiss.

Sanji moaned in bliss when their tongues encountered and he gripped the loops of Zoro’s jeans firmly, pressing himself flush against him. The swordsman let himself be handled, letting a contented sigh out against the cook’s mouth, happy to ravish him. He felt himself get lighter as he kept on his oral exploration, his mind clouded with Sanji’s name and touch, the feeling of his hair on his calloused fingers and his pressing chest against his own.

When he realized his feet didn’t touch the ground anymore, he moved back a little to take a breath. The blond was watching him from below, his dilated pupils boring into his, the puffs of both their erratic breathing blending into each other. He became aware of Sanji’s hands underneath his ass supporting his weigh, and how his forearms were braced on the cook’s shoulders.

“And here I thought _I_ was the muscle-head,” Zoro rasped, a bit lightheaded.

“Just because you are doesn’t mean I can’t lift you,” Sanji stated, backing his claims up by readjusting his lover higher in his grip.

“Well damn,” Zoro chuckled, pressing his forehead to Sanji’s. “That’s hot.”

The blond addressed him a knowing smirk, but instead of resuming their making-out session, he slowly put Zoro back on his feet.

“As much as I would love to drive you into the nearest wall-” Zoro groaned at the thought, “-we’re definitely not in the right place for that.”

“Then give me one good reason not to take you to the nearest isolated place so _I_ can drive _you_ into the wall.”

“You would get us lost.”

Zoro wanted to argue that it wasn’t going to happen, but for some reason, he lost the ability to form a coherent sentence, an embarrassed flush creeping up his cheeks. Sanji’s mouth was against his ear almost instantly, whispering a ‘tonight’ that made him weak in the knees.

Without being able to have a say in the matter -not that he would complain-, Zoro let Sanji grab his hand and lead them back into the livelier part of the town. They went back to the old sunflower seeds seller to buy more of them, uncooked this time. The lady smiled at their laced fingers knowingly, wishing them a good trip after the transaction.

“You’re going to spend the rest of the day in the galley, aren’t you?” Zoro grumbled sometime after they exited the crowd.

“You’re saying it like an accusation.”

Zoro looked away and brought a hand to his nape in a sheepish way under Sanji’s stare.

“Looks like someone wants to keep me for himself,” the cook teased. “We will have the night just for ourselves, you know?”

“Maybe I want more than just the night,” Zoro defended, turning to bore his eyes into Sanji’s.

He was welcomed with red-ears and equally red cheeks.

“What kind of perverted thoughts are you having?” He accused.

Sanji huffed and kicked his calve, his embarrassment fading away.

“I wasn’t having naughty thoughts, idiot. I was thinking you were cute all of a sudden, wanting to stay with me like a lost puppy. Nevermind that.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna stay with me?” Zoro tried, eyebrows raised expectantly.

Sanji took his sweet time, feigning a dilemma while Zoro questioned the ridiculousness of the situation he had put himself into.

“You don’t exactly make me want to waste an entire afternoon worth of cooking,” the blond finally said, faking a mildly sorry face.

“Please, babe-”

“Don’t please babe me,” he cut in, turning away to continue on his way.

Zoro knew when his lover decided to get dramatic and therefore knew he wasn’t pissed, just pretending to be. He grabbed the blond’s arm to prevent him from going too far, and pulled him back in his arms.

“Babe-” he tried anew.

“I said don’t babe me-”

“Please.”

Zoro knew he was exaggerating the heartbroken tone he had just used, but at least it got Sanji quiet for a few seconds. Now in his arms, he was close enough to feel his breath on his nose. The look on his face was telling him the cook was seriously wondering if he had screwed up.

“Let’s spent the whole day and night together,” he said, suaveness now laced to his words.

The blush returned on the cook’s features, and Zoro knew he had won this round. Sanji’s shoulders slumped a bit, fondness settling in his eyes.

“Who knew you could be a manipulative asshole,” he whispered, lifting his hands to stroke his lover’s arms.

“No one can resist me,” Zoro smirked, earning a gentle slap on the bicep.

“Is that so?” Sanji wondered, a perplex eyebrow raised.

He slid an arm around Zoro’s waist, not resisting the want to pinch the muscles of his rear on his way. The surprised hiccup he received satisfied him and he took advantage of the shock on his lover’s face to suck on his bottom lip briefly before backing away a little.

“I think I can resist you well enough,” the cook murmured with calculated slowness. “I happen to like yielding to you.”

“Don’t say it like that, I’m getting horny,” Zoro confessed in a growl.

“Yeah? Maybe we should hurry back to the Sunny, then,” the blond suggested with a wink.

“Holy shit, _yo__u_’re the manipulative asshole. I should never underestimate your perverseness.”

“I don’t hear you complaining, though.”

On these words, Sanji swiftly lifted Zoro off his feet to carry him all the way back to their ship. Zoro protested for the sake of it but didn’t struggle much, eventually settling his arms around his lover’s neck for support.

“You’re lucky I’m okay with embarrassing public display of affection,” he complained halfheartedly.

“_You_’re lucky I didn’t go for bridal style like I wanted to,” Sanji giggled.

“Just take us to the ship already.”

“Of course, dear. A gentleman like me would never make you wait.”

Zoro smacked him on the head for he only had that much room for maneuver, but deep-down his heart was starting to beat faster because of the silly politeness that he had grown to love when it was addressed to him.

**Author's Note:**

> All my soft stuff ends up with smacks to the head why
> 
> Hear me out, Zoro is n°1 softie fight me. Also, I have a thing for Sanji lifting Zoro whenever he pleases.
> 
> Kudos and reviews are appreciated <3
> 
> You can check my [tumblr](https://chioneesglasses.tumblr.com/).


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